Kingsmill Layout Presents Many Challenges

PGA Tour pros will play exactly the same course they played last year as the 13th Anheuser-Busch Golf Clasic begins its four-day run June 13-16, according to Kingsmill club pro Al Burns.

An unusually wet spring and early summer hasn't damaged the course.

"It's in great shape," Burns said. "The course drains really well. It's about as green as it's ever going to get. The bermuda (grass) has really popped."

Burns gives a hole-by-hole description of the River Course:

No. 1 - 360 yards, par 4 - A relatively short par-4 for those guys, but the green is tough. It runs kind of left-to-right, right-to-left, and if the pin is placed over the trap on the left side, it makes a pretty tough little second shot, regardless of the distance. The secret there is to keep out of the fairway traps that are on a bank in the middle of the fairway, and out of the heavy rough.

No. 2 - 204 yards, par 3 - A good par-3. If they put the pin in the upper left corner (of the green), you've got to hit a pretty accurate shot to get close to the pin. For that one, they'd be hitting 2- and 3-iron. It's a big green and they can put the pin in some choice locations.

No. 3 - 514 yards, par 5 - If you hit a good tee shot, you have the option of going for (the green) in two, or laying up because water comes into play in the front left of the green. If they hook it they're going to be in the water, but it's a makeable second shot (to the green) for them so it's a strong birdie hole. The green, if they put the pin in the back right, it's up on top of a slope and it makes it pretty difficult to get close to the pin. The rest of the green is fairly level.

No. 4 - 437 yards, par 4 - A pretty good driving hole. A long par-4. The key shot is your tee shot. You don't want to go left, or the ball will hit the bank or slope and go down into the creek that runs down the whole left side. It's actually a fader's hole - hit the ball a little left-to-right. Then you're hitting your second shot into a fairly skinny green - not too much depth. It demands two pretty good shots. You can't roll it up there because the green is elevated and well-bunkered in front.

No. 5 - 183 yards, par 3 - You're hitting from an elevated tee to an elevated green. If they put the pin in the upper right corner, it's really an exacting shot to get close. It's well-trapped, particularly on the right side.

No. 6 - 365 yards, par 4 - I'd say this is a breather hole. It's a fairly short par-4. They have to avoid getting in the trap on the right side of the fairway, about 240 yards from the tee. The green is what makes the hole. It's very undulating. They can put the pin in some pretty strange places.

No. 7 - 516 yards, par 5 - A good par-5. It's out of bounds left and right. You have to hit really a good tee shot and an excellent second shot. Everything kicks left on the second shot. There's a big slope, so you have to aim a little right. The green is fairly level. There's a few subtle undulations, nothing spectacular. The tee shot is the big, important shot here. You've got to get good distance and be on the fairway.

No. 8 - 413 yards, par 4 - This is really a pretty difficult par-4. A lot of those guys will be hitting layup shots, maybe 1-irons or 4-woods off the tee to a plateau. You can't go left or right here or you're in trouble. The second shot has to be pretty accurate. The green is kind of narrow, with a big slope in the middle that gives you two levels. So they can put that pin in some pretty interesting spots.

No. 9 - 452 yards, par 4 - The longest par-4 and you usually hit into the prevailing wind, which makes it a little bit longer. There's a trap out from the tee (on the left side) about 245 and that must be avoided if you want to get home in two. You're hitting to an elevated green - a fairly long iron. It's really skinny down the left side (of the green) and if they put the pin there, it makes it tough.

No. 10 - 431 yards, par 4 - Another pretty good par-4. You need a decent tee shot to get it in play because the rough, all down the right side, is that thick bermuda (grass) and once you get in that, you just have to hack it out. The green is pretty well-bunkered in front. This is almost the most level green we've got. Again, the tee shot is the key shot and keeping it on the fairway.

No. 11 - 396 yards, par 4 - A pretty wide fairway. They shouldn't have any trouble keeping it in the fairway. But you hit it to a green that doesn't have too much depth to it. There's a pot-bellied bunker right in front of the green. When they put the pin behind that bunker, you really have to hit a great shot to get close to the pin. It's so easy to go over that green.

No. 12 - 395 yards, par 4 - A dogleg left. The thing to do is (land the tee shot) slightly right of center - that would be perfect - leaving them a medium iron to the green. The green's a little elevated and it's heavily bunkered in front. That should be one of the easier par-4s for them. The green is undulating; it can be tricky.